Ceasefires fray as Israel kills six in Gaza, Lebanon

Published
2
Palestinian boys carry pieces of wood as they make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Al-Shatee refugee camp, east of Gaza City.—AFP
Palestinian boys carry pieces of wood as they make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Al-Shatee refugee camp, east of Gaza City.—AFP

• Hamas returns Israeli prisoner’s body; gets 15 Palestinians’ bodies in return
• US coordinates Gaza aid flow but Israel maintains oversight, officials say

JERUSALEM: Israeli forces continued to wage deadly assaults across the Palestinian territories and southern Lebanon on Saturday, in a series of air and artillery attacks that violated ceasefire agreements on both fronts.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops shot dead two 16-year-old boys, adding to the mounting number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah identified the victims as Mohammed Abdullah Moham­med Ateem and Muhammad Rashad Fadl Qasim, both from the village of Judeira. The ministry said Israeli forces were withholding the boys’ bodies.

The Israeli military acknowledged the killings, referring to the teenagers as individuals it had “eliminated” — a term frequently employed by Israeli authorities to obscure civilian deaths and dehumanise Palestinians.

At the same time, in the besieged Strip, Israeli gunfire killed one Palestinian and wounded another near the Bureij refugee camp.

A separate attack in western Khan Younis left another Pales­tinian wounded, medics reported.

Three killed in Lebanon

In a separate escalation, Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed three people and wounded several others on Saturday.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said two brothers from the town of Shebaa were burned alive when an Israeli missile hit their SUV. A separate strike in Baraashit killed one person and wounded four. Another Israeli strike on Saturday morning on a car near a hospital in the southern city of Bint Jbeil wounded seven people, according to the ministry.

The latest attacks came as the European Union voiced concern. “Focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far.”

Body exchange

Simultaneously, under the cea­­sefire’s prisoner exchange plan, for every one dead Israeli prisoners returned, the bodies of 15 slain Palestinians are handed back by Israel.

On Saturday, Israel identified the latest prisoner remains sent back from Gaza as those of Lior Rudaeff. Meanwhile, the Nasser Medical Centre in Khan Younis reported receiving the bodies of 15 Pales­tinians.

US, Israel coordinate aid

Meanwhile, according to the Washington Post, US forces are now involved in coordinating aid through the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) that will replace Israel in overseeing aid into Gaza. It cited a US official and people familiar with the matter as saying Israel was part of the process but that CMCC would decide what aid enters Gaza and how.

However, an Israeli security official confirmed that Israel remains part of the supervision and monitoring process, with decisions made jointly. This suggests little change to the stifling Israeli control over what aid enters Gaza.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2025

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...